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Monday, December 8, 2008

Are you puzzled what to take for the coming Holiday potluck or give a homemade gift? Why not to bake the classic holiday Fruitcake and make your friends or family bring back some vivid memories.
When I was a kid, one of the goodies, I always look forward each Christmas is the Fruitcake and Semolina cake. When our Christian friends share the fruitcake along with sweets and snacks. Everyone wants to have a share for the little slice of cake :) The dry fruits soaked in alcohol and nuts folded in flour and caramel will drive us nuts! The next day, my dad makes sure to get a plum cake (Indian fruit cake) from bakery, which is individually wrapped in wax paper!
Wasn’t that cool to receive all those goodies for Diwali, Christmas and Eid and feast their lovely homemade goodies or remember at least those festivals. It remains as sweet memories forever!

I already baked a Fruits and Nuts cake from Bee’s place. If you are looking for a vegan recipe better to follow her awesome and fool proof recipe.

For the Indian version of Plum cake (fruitcake), I got the recipe from RP but modified the sweet and soaked the dry fruits in orange juice along with rum extract. I have done before for this recipe. The recipe met all my expectations, except I want to reduce more the sugar level to ½ cup next time. After all I felt ¼ cup reduction of sugar is not enough for my spicy tongue! The alcohol can be always omitted if you wish but definitely the taste differs.

Before start making the cake , try to soak the dry fruit for several hours, overnight or few days ahead, the more the merrier. I soaked for 24 hours and the juice are well absorbed by the dry fruits.

Warm the orange juice in microwave mix the dry fruits & rum extract and keep close the container for several hours, overnight or days! If it is soaked for days , try to stir time to time.

To make the caramel:

Sugar: 1/4 cup

Water: 1 tbsp

Warm water: 1/4 cup

How to make caramel?

Add sugar and 1 tbsp water keep in stove at low medium heat. When the sugar starts to caramelize , stir slowly with wooden spoon. The sugar will start to change color from light brown to dark. In between , keep in microwave the water for 1 min and warm it. When the sugar starts to turn brown , pour slowly the warm water keep ur face away! (caution: it splitter so be cautious!). Let it cool completly the caramel and add the vanilla essence.

To bake the cake

Preheat the oven at 35o degree, grease a small loaf pan and place a wax paper at the bottom.

Beat the butter, sugar until creamy add one by one the egg and beat until creamy, add the cooled caramel beat again.

Add the dry fruits only (if you ve little juice left keep it away or add in the cake mixture), nuts and orange zest. fold again.

Pour in grease pan and cook in middle of the rack for 40 to 50 minutes. If not cooked increase 10 min each time.

My cake was ready under 45 min! Depend of your oven!

Note: The alcohol is evaporated while baking so we can safely feed the kid. Rum is the key flavor and the extract do give the flavor of the original plum cake we get from the bakery. You can always skip the rum and soak in fruit juice but the flavor is different!

Some important tips before baking the cake:

Plan ahead for soaking!

Soak in advance the dry fruits in orange juice (with or without rum extract) or alcohol (if you wish)

There was pretty much 2 or 3 tbsp of orange juice was leftover after soaking the dry fruits, I added in my cake mixture (optional)

You can soak in alcohol or even skip it!

The cake takes a longtime to bake so line with wax paper.

If you don’t like any of the fruit listed in ingredients can be always substituted by the fruit and nuts of your choice.

Try to bake in reduce heat level (otherwise the cake tends to brown over the top )

Note where to get some items: Rum extract can be found in baking section. Welch’s mixed dry fruits can be found in any Walmart (US stores)

Help yourself for this Christmas!

1.The homemade Christmas cake is reaching Happy cook Homemade Christmas Gift event and don't forget to see the instant round-up (pretty much right Happy cook) here to get some ideas for this Holiday season.

wow! Now I'm really starting to feel the christmas fever in me :) I usually stay away from baking, but this yummy juicy looking plum cake is really testing me :) Gal, that looks awesome! Especially those slices.. Great entry!

Lovely Cham,Perfect Fruit Cake.I once tried a recipe,but the cake did not come out well.Love this.Bakery Cake itself.I read your response to AnuD.But one q?is the oven temp 350 or 315.I do not know whether it is a typo or correct temp.Sorry for the trouble

Curry Leaf: The response to Anud , she is from my place so if I say "Grand bakery" very famous for plum cake!The temp is a typo I will correct it, thanks CF... But when the oven temp is low the cake will not form a dark crust on top!

Thankyou for sending me this delicious looking fruit cake. I to used tolove the cristmas cake bought from bakery , used to wait for getting them. I have not made yet anycake for christmas as i didn't want as most of them took too long for baking almost 2hrs and this just 45 minutes. I might try to make this.

Heeeeeeeeeeeeeey, I am so glad that you posted this recipe step by step. I am a worst baker in the world. I chicken out...when it comes to baking. I gathered some courage looking at ur instructions...you made it damn clear to me, thank you dear. Luv this fruit & nut cake.

ALready in xmas mood :)...i love plum cakes..we used to get lots of plum cakes from family friends during this time back home..so used to hate them....now that i dont get them..i have started to like them....it tastes better after a few days...good one cham...love the santa cap on ur avatar :)

Oh my,This reminds me that I have to make mine soon. I have been making it year after year in advance, this time, am bit behind in making this traditional christmas cake. Thanks for posting it.Cheers,Elra

This has been on my to-bake list since loooong Cham, but haven't done it yet only bcoz my mom's recipe calls for tutti frutti...not able to find some here! Your loaf is perfect and I bet it must taste great. Well done Cham! :)

oh I like that it looks so tasty this so lovely cake i ever see here on internet.i love eating that's why im too fat now :)but most of the time what i eat are any kind of chocolates like milk chocolate ,French macarons, and macarons london and so on.well anyway that cake recipe above is interesting i wanna try that.